The German-born Handel, after spending some of his early career composing operas and other pieces in Italy, settled in London, where in 1711 he had brought Italian opera for the first time with his opera
Rinaldo. A tremendous success,
Rinaldo created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers. In 1719, Handel was appointed
music director of an organisation called the Royal Academy of Music (unconnected with the present day London conservatoire), a company under royal charter to produce Italian operas in London. Handel was not only to compose operas for the company but hire the star singers, supervise the orchestra and musicians, and adapt operas from Italy for London performance. The Royal Academy of Music collapsed at the end of the 1728–29 season, partly due to the huge fees paid to the star singers, and the two prima donnas who had appeared in Handel's last few operas,
Francesca Cuzzoni and
Faustina Bordoni both left London for engagements in continental Europe. Handel went into partnership with
John James Heidegger, the theatrical impresario who held the lease on the King's Theatre in the Haymarket where the operas were presented and started a new opera company with a new prima donna,
Anna Strada. One of Handel's librettists,
Paolo Rolli, wrote in a letter (the original is in Italian) that Handel said that Strada "sings better than the two who have left us, because one of them (Faustina) never pleased him at all and he would like to forget the other (Cuzzoni)." The story of
Lotario is, in modern terms, a "prequel" to Handel's previous opera
Ottone with many of the same characters at an earlier part of their lives. In fact, the character of Lotario was referred to in Handel's manuscript score as "Ottone" since it is based on the same person, the historical
Otto the Great, but the name was changed part way through composition, probably to avoid confusion with Handel's earlier, highly successful, piece. Handel was now in business for himself, unlike the arrangements he had with the Royal Academy of Music, which had financial support from wealthy backers. He had traveled to Italy to hire singers and the ones he brought to London to replace the stars of the Royal Academy did not meet with the near universal acclaim of his previous singers. One of Handel's most loyal supporters,
Mary Delany, wrote in a letter of the new ensemble of singers that performed
LotarioBernachi has a vast compass, his voice mellow and clear, but not so sweet as Senesino, his manner better; his person not so good, for he is as big as a Spanish friar. Fabri has a tenor voice, sweet, clear and firm, but not strong enough, I doubt, for the stage; he sings like a gentleman, without making faces, and his manner is particularly agreeable; he is the greatest master of musick that ever sang on the stage. The third is the bass, a very good distinct voice, without any harshness. La Strada is the first woman; her voice is without exception fine, her manner perfection, but her person very bad, and she makes frightful mouths. La Merighi is next to her; her voice is not extraordinarily good or bad, she is tall and has a very graceful person, with a tolerable face; she seems to be a woman about forty, she sings easily and agreeably. The last is Bertoli, she has neither voice, ear, nor manner to recommend her; but she is a perfect beauty, quite a Cleopatra, that sort of complexion with regular features, fine teeth, and when she sings has a smile about her mouth which is extreme pretty, and I believe has practised to sing before a glass, for she has never any distortion in her face. In the same letter already quoted, on 11 December 1729 Paulo Rolli wrote: Nine days ago the opera Lotario was produced. I went only last Tuesday, that is to the third performance. Everyone considers it a very bad opera. Bernacchi failed to please on the first night, but at the second performance he changed his method and scored a success...Strada pleases mightily, and (Handel) says that she sings better than the two who have left us, because one of them never pleased him at all and he would like to forget the other...Fabri is a great success. He really sings very well. Would you have believed that a tenor could have such a triumph here in England?...They are putting on Giulio Cesare because the audiences are falling away fast. I think the storm is about to break on the head of our proud Orso (Handel). Not all beans are for market, especially beans so badly cooked as this first basketful... Tenors were unusual in leading roles in opera in England, as Rolli notes, although Handel's previous operas
Tamerlano and
Rodelinda had featured star roles for a celebrated tenor,
Francesco Borosini. A few weeks after her first letter, Mary Delaney returned to the subject (''
The Beggar's Opera'' had been a sensational success at its premiere in London in 1728):'The opera is too good for the vile taste of the town; it (Lotario) is condemned never more to appear on the stage after this night...The present opera is disliked because it is too much studied, and they love nothing but minuets and ballads, in short the Beggars' Opera and Hurlothrumbo are only worthy of applause. The opera is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, trumpet, two horns, strings, and
continuo (cello, lute, harpsichord). ==Recordings==